Oxford University hot drink study researchers said regularly drinking tea and coffee at very hot temperatures was linked to a higher risk of oesophageal cancer. The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, examined 977,282 middle-aged men and women and set 65 degrees Celsius as the point at which a drink counted as very hot.
People who had their drinks very hot had around a three times higher risk of oesophageal cancer than warm tea or coffee drinkers. Dr Keren Papier, the lead researcher, said: "More research is now needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to this increased risk."
Oxford University Study
The finding builds on earlier research in South America and adds a larger sample to the question of whether temperature, not just what people drink, matters. The reported cancer is oesophageal cancer, also called cancer of the food pipe or gullet. Researchers said around one or two in every 10 oesophageal cancers could be avoided if people stopped drinking very hot beverages.
The study also found that consuming six or more hot drinks per day raised the risk. That matters because many everyday cups are served far hotter than people may expect. Tea made immediately after a kettle is fully boiled is touching boiling point at 100 degrees C, and once poured into a cup it can still sit around 90 or 95 degrees C.
Cancer Research UK Guidance
Cancer Research UK said it is difficult to put an exact time on how long a hot drink should be left to cool. Its advice was direct: "But if you're worried, we'd suggest just waiting until it's comfortable to drink rather than drinking it while it's still very hot,". That fits the practical gap the study leaves for readers who want a usable rule.
The safest everyday approach is to treat comfort as the stop signal, not steam. A drink that feels merely hot can still sit above the study's 65 degrees C threshold, which is where Oxford University defined very hot beverages.
What Drinkers Can Do
For people who drink tea or coffee daily, the immediate step is simple: let it cool for a few minutes before taking the first sip. One separate study of 118 young adults found most only judged black coffee too hot at 70 degrees C or above, while one takeaway coffee cup manufacturer put the ideal temperature for hot coffee on the go between 49 and 60 degrees C.
MTPak Coffee said coffee served extra hot can be over 82 degrees C, well above the range linked in the Oxford University hot drink study. The overall chance of developing this cancer remains low, but the temperature question is now the practical one readers can act on today.
